1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is related to hospital gurneys, and more particularly to motorized attachments for hospital gurneys to aid in moving hospital gurneys, stretchers, and other patient-moving devices from one place to another.
3. Description of Background Information
In a hospital setting, it is often required to move patients from one area of the hospital to another as rapidly as possible. For example, if a patient comes into the emergency room, he may need to be rushed to another department such as radiology or surgery. Typically, patients are placed on stretchers or gurneys, i.e., thin beds placed on a wheeled frame. Hospital staff generally push patients on gurneys from one place to another manually. Under the best of circumstances, this can prove to be an exhausting exercise. The process can be complicated by old, worn-out gurneys that do not travel easily and/or by obese patients and less than fit hospital staff.
Several attempts have been made in constructing a gurney having its own powered drive mechanism to make it easier for the hospital staff to move them around. One such device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,163,189 to DeGRAY, in which a self-powered gurney is disclosed that includes its own power source and power steering, as well as an elevatable and tiltable patient support surface. There are important drawbacks to self-powered gurney devices such as those disclosed in DeGRAY. For one, they are expensive to purchase and maintain. Moreover, a hospital seeking to use such a device would have to replace its existing fleet of gurneys. Also, the DeGRAY device appears to be difficult to recharge easily.
Other devices have been created that are attachable to non-motorized wheelchairs to retrofit the wheelchair to include a propulsion device. Such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,670 to NAN; U.S. Pat. No. 5,125,468 to COKER; and U.S. Pat. No. 2,978,053 to SCHMIDT. These devices, however, suffer from several shortcomings. For instance, these devices are wheelchair attachments, not gurney attachments, and many emergency patients are typically not capable of being moved from one place to another in a seated position. Rather, they must be moved while lying down. Additionally, these attachments are designed to enable the wheelchair user to motivate the wheelchair himself, as opposed to someone pushing the wheelchair. Such a device is not helpful for a gurney-bound patient, who is typically in no position to be motivating himself anywhere. Further, these prior wheelchair attachment devices are generally difficult to attach and detach from a wheelchair, especially as wheelchairs come in different sizes. As such, it would be impractical to use such a device on a gurney, since gurneys often need to be used in a hurry.
Further, attempts have been made to provide motivation devices for hospital gurneys. Such a device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,845 to FOSTER et al. This device however is limited to hospital gurneys of a specific design, i.e., those with a xe2x80x9cYxe2x80x9d shaped footprint, and cannot be easily employed to propel a variety of hospital gurneys. That is, the device disclosed in FOSTER is not universal with respect to a variety of hospital gurney, and thus cannot be easily employed therewith. Further, due, inter alia, to the manner in which weight is distributed over the drive wheel and to the employment of a gas strut in instant invention, there is no problem with slippage of the drive wheel.
Finally, none of the above-referenced U.S. patents discuss or suggest a simple and convenient way to charge or recharge the device when it is not being used.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a power-assist attachment for an existing hospital gurney.
It is another object of the invention to provide a power-assist attachment for a gurney that is easily attached and detached to and from the gurney.
It is another object of the invention to provide a power-assist attachment for a gurney that is easily adjusted to accommodate different sizes of gurneys.
It is another object of the invention to provide a power-assist attachment for a gurney that facilitates the pushing of a gurney.
It is another object of the invention to provide a power-assist attachment for a gurney that is easily charged and recharged.
The above and other objects are achieved by the invention, which is a motor-assist gurney attachment.
A motor-assisted unit for moving hospital gurneys in provided which includes a docking unit and a detachable power unit, which are both usable with a plurality of gurneys. The docking unit further includes a plurality of receptacles and a plurality engagement pins, with the receptacles being adapted to engage one of a plurality of engagement pins or a plurality of recharging pins.
Further, the power unit includes a power supply, at least one drive wheel, a drive system, a motor, at least one retractable idler wheel, and a steering column. In addition, the steering column, which passes through at least a collar, bushings, or bearings, is provided with handle bars. The steering column also may be provided with controller grips on the handle bars, and its height may be adjustable.
With respect to the drive system, the motor is connected to the at least one drive wheel via a drive belt, chain, drive-shaft, or gears. Further, the drive wheel may be steerable. In another embodiment, the present invention may utilize the hospital gurney center castor wheel as a drive wheel. The power unit of the present invention may also include brakes.
The present invention also includes a charging station, which may either be part of the power unit or a separate unit itself, to charge the battery (i.e., power source) of the power unit. Further, the charging station may include a battery charger and a plurality of electrically conductive recharging pins. In addition, the charging unit may receive power from a 110 volt AC source (i.e., conventional wall socket). The receptacles also have electric contacts located in their innermost portions, which are electrically connected to the power supply.
In the present invention, the recharging pins have a notch located substantially on the distal end, which allow them to be secured within the receptacles via a locking unit. The locking unit includes a substantially xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped substantially flat plate, which engages the notch, thereby securing the power unit to the charging station, when the substantially flat plate is lowered over the recharging pins.
As disclosed, the docking unit of the present invention includes at least one mounting plate, which is usable with a plurality of gurneys, and may be disposed on either a hospital gurney or the power unit. When affixed to the hospital gurney, the mounting plate is fixed to the hospital gurney via at least one xe2x80x9cU-bolt.xe2x80x9d Further, there are engagement pins attached to the mounting plate, which are vertically adjustable. In addition, the engagement pins have a notch located substantially on the distal end, which may be employed with a locking unit to secure the engagement pins within the plurality of sockets. The locking unit includes a substantially xe2x80x9cUxe2x80x9d shaped substantially flat plate, which engages the notch, thereby securing the power unit to the hospital gurney, when the substantially flat plate is lowered substantially perpendicular to the engagement pins.
In the present invention, the power unit includes a power supply, at least one drive wheel (which may be steerable), a drive system, a motor, at least one retractable idler wheel, and a steering column. The power unit may also include a battery charger, and the a steering column may further include handle bars which are attached substantially perpendicular thereto. Additionally, the motor is connected to the at least one drive wheel via a drive belt, chain, drive-shaft, or gears. In another embodiment, the drive wheel may be a hospital gurney center castor wheel. Further, the steering column passes through and freely rotates within at least of one collar, bushing, or bearings. The power unit may also include comprises brakes.
When affixed the hospital gurney the mounting plate, of the docking unit, is attached to the hospital gurney via at least one xe2x80x9cU-bolt,xe2x80x9d and the plurality of engagement pins (which may be vertically adjustable) are attached to the at least one mounting plate.
A method of propelling a hospital gurney is provided, which includes docking a detachable power unit to a gurney, propelling the gurney with the detachable power unit, steering the detachable power unit via a substantially vertical steering column. Further, the detachable power unit is generic with respect to the hospital gurneys in the method of the present invention. In addition, the method includes detaching the power unit from the hospital gurney and docking it with a different hospital gurney. The method also includes recharging the power unit, by docking it with a recharging station, or simply plugging the on-board charger into a conventional 110 volt AC wall socket.